That Summer
by Shimmerbreeze
Summary: For as long as she can remember, Momo Hinamori has had a crush on Toshiro Hitsugaya. But now, as their last summer comes up before they all move away for college, Momo starts to find herself falling for someone else. Will this summer be the one for Momo?


_**That Summer**_

** While I should be typing up my Soul Eater story, I got the idea for this Bleach one while I was reading Sarah Dessen's book 'That Summer', hence the name for this. It's HitsuHina, which is the best pairing of all time. Other than ByaRuki… :P Anyway, I hope you like this. **

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH OR THAT SUMMER. **

_***S***_

**Chapter 1:**

_It's funny how one summer can change everything. It must be something about the heat and the smell of chlorine, fresh-cut and honeysuckle, asphalt sizzling after late day thunderstorms, the steam rising while everything drips around it. Something about long, lazy days and whirring air conditioners and bright plastic flip-flops from the drugstore thwacking down the street. Something about fall being so close, another year, another Christmas, another beginning. So much in one summer, stirring up like the storms that crest at the end of each day, blowing out all the heat and dirt to leave everything gasping and cool. Everyone can reach back to one summer and lay a finger to it, finding the exact point when everything changed. That summer was mine. _

_***S***_

Momo Hinamori set down the book she was reading and walked over to her bedroom window. She looked out into the bright morning sun and smiled, maybe this would be _her _summer. Just the day before, she and the rest of her friends had graduated from Seireitei High School and some, like herself, would be going to Karakura University in the fall. But until then, she had the whole summer to have fun and hang out with her friends.

"MOMO! GET YOUR LAZY BUTT UP AND MOVING!" Her mother's voice drifted up the stairs. (Did I say drifted, I meant crashed.) Momo sighed and stuck her head out of her bedroom door.

"I just have to get dressed real quick," she called down to her mother.

"Hurry up, you don't want to be late," the answer came. Momo and her friends were all going to stay at the beach for the summer. Momo sighed happily and closed her eyes. A whole summer of sand, surf, and sun. And a whole summer of Toshiro.

Toshiro… Momo sighed again as she opened her eyes and walked over to her closet to pick something out to wear on the drive to the beach. She has had a crush on Toshiro for as long as she could remember. But at school, especially in the last two years, Toshiro had picked up a play boy status, never keeping one girl for too long. The longest relationship he'd been is the one he is in currently.

Some girl named Trinity, a college student here for a study abroad program. She was supposed to go back to America at the end of the summer, but Momo doubted she'd be with them on _this_ trip. Momo shook her head furiously as if to shake away bad memories.

NO! This summer would be fun and not wishing things were different, she told herself. She went back to looking through her closet and grabbed a peach colored off the shoulder shirt and then turned to her dresser. From there, she grabbed a white tank top and a pair of cut-off shorts.

She rushed into the adjoining bathroom, and changed quickly. As she was pulling her hair up into a high ponytail, a car horn beeped outside. Momo ran over to her window to see Rangiku's cherry red Toyota Camry parked next to her silver Jetta. Said driver was just getting out of the car. From the passenger seat came a man with silvery-white hair. Toshiro's cousin Gin, and from the backseat, Rangiku's own cousin, Orihime.

Momo opened her window and hit the latch that held her screen in place. As the screen swung out she leaned further out the window. "I'll be right down, let me grab my bags!" She re-secured her screen and shut the window, making sure it was locked. She grabbed her suitcase from where it was by her bed and swung her duffle bag over her shoulder.

Momo made a few more last minute checks. '_Phone? Back pocket. Ipod? Jacket pocket. JACKET?' _She looked around frantically and didn't see it anywhere in her room. She trotted down the stairs and entered the living room just as her mom was coming out of it.

"Oof, Momo, slow down, the beach will still be there I promise," her mother laughed as she righted herself.

"Mom, have you seen my—"

"Jacket?" Her mom laughed and pointed over to the couch, where sure enough, her navy blue hoodie lay draped on the arm.

"Thanks mom," Momo said kissing her on the cheek. She grabbed her jacket and her keys that were laying on the small end table. "I'll be careful, and I've already made sure that I have a full tank of gas so you won't have to worry." She smiled brightly at her mom.

"I know sweetheart, just make sure to be safe. All of you!" Her mother hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "Now, go have fun with friends."

"Love you mom!" Momo said as she walked out the door.

"About time!" Rangiku said shoving her towards her car faster. "You have to pick up Toshiro and Ichigo." She paused then frowned. "I feel like I'm forgetting someone."

"Maybe Karin? Ichigo said she was going with us," Orihime said helpfully.

"That's it!" Rangiku said hitting her palm with a fist. "Rukia said Renji was driving the two of them to the beach, provided they can get past Byakuya that is."

"I'm sure Rukia can do it, she has her brother wrapped around her finger," Momo said laughing as she put her suitcase and duffle bag in her trunk. "Why aren't you picking Toshiro up?" she asked just realizing what the red-head had said.

"Have you seen her backseat? I'm surprised Orihime could fit," Gin said rolling his eyes and looking pointedly at Rangiku. "So my dear cousin is in your capable hands Hinamori-kun." He smiled a thin smile. Momo shivered a bit. She had no personal grudge against Gin, but he creeped her out sometimes.

"Can we just get going?" Rangiku whined. "I can hear my tan calling to me. Can't you hear it?"

"I can hear you whining again," Momo said sticking her tongue out at her and hopping into her car. She locked the doors before Rangiku could get in at her and started the car. Rangiku glared at her and tapped on the window.

"Open up," she said. Reluctantly Momo rolled down the window.

"Yes?" she asked smiling sheepishly.

"Don't forget to meet up at the hotel by four," Rangiku said sticking her own tongue out at her, before heading back to her own car.

"Yes mother!" Momo called as she backed her car slowly out of her driveway. Waving to her actual mother who had come to stand at the front door.

_***S***_

The drive to pick up her friends was boring. She didn't want to mess with the radio while she was driving, so it was quiet. Ichigo's house was first. When she pulled up into the parking lot of his family clinic, he and Karin were waiting for her with their bags beside them. She waved as she shut off her car and got out to help them.

"I'm so glad you decided to come with us Karin!" Momo said brightly.

"It was either that or spend the summer with dad and Yuzu again," Karin said shaking her head. "While I'll miss Yuzu's cooking, I can do without dad's constant babying."

"Ad the random ninja attacks," Ichigo added as he shoved his bag in the trunk, he bent over to add Karin's in as well.

"Well, all we have to do now is go pick up Toshiro and then meet Rangiku at our hotel by four," Momo said as they got into the car. She backed out carefully, and navigated to Toshiro's apartment.

Toshiro was lucky; he lived alone and has since he was 16. Momo assumed it just fit his lifestyle. She sighed as she turned down the road that his apartment building was on.

"Hey, what was that sigh for?" Ichigo asked. "You don't sound very happy for someone who just graduated and is going away for the summer."

"Sigh, what sigh," Momo asked feigning innocence as she pulled into the apartment building parking lot.

"I'll go get Toshiro!" Karin said unbuckling and hopping out of the backseat. "I'll be right back." She ran towards the building, her black hair bouncing off her shoulders.

"I swear, she's always running somewhere, it's like she doesn't even know what the word _walk _means," Ichigo said as he watched his sister. He shook his head and then turned his attention back to his manga.

Momo however was in a slight daze. She had been planning on being the one to go get Toshiro, but Karin had beat her to it by a long shot, she hadn't even got the car shut off and Karin had been out the door. Momo sat back in her seat and frowned ever so slightly. Did Karin like Toshiro too? There was no way of telling, unless… Momo looked over at Ichigo.

"Um, Ichigo…" Momo said trailing off slightly.

"Huh?" Ichigo looked up from his manga. "Do you need something?" he asked.

"Well, I was just wondering something about Karin," Momo said looking away.

"Really?" Ichigo asked surprised, Momo and Karin had never really talked, and it wasn't like they were real good friends. "What do you want to know?"

"Does…I mean, is it possible that Karin might like Toshiro?" Momo blurted out, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"Hitsugaya?" Ichigo looked up thoughtfully. "I don't know, I mean they play soccer all the time, so it might be possible." He shrugged. "Why the sudden interest?" He looked at Momo closely.

"Nothing! I mean she just volunteered to go get him quickly and she apparently knows which apartment is his," she said nodding to the front door of the apartment building, where Karin and Toshiro were emerging.

"Hmm… Yeah, I guess you're right," Ichigo said still looking at Momo. Momo hid her face by putting her head down to where her bangs shielded it. No one had ever found out about her crush, and she didn't want them to.

"Hey Kurosaki, bed-wetter," Toshiro said as he slid in the backseat, Karin getting in beside him.

"Mou, Shiro-chan, that's not nice. After all I am driving you to the beach," Momo said blushing deep red. Ichigo shook his head and Karin laughed loudly.

"Don't call me Shiro-chan," Toshiro said buckling his seatbelt.

"Then don't call me bed-wetter," Momo shot back.

"Hey, hey guys, can we just get going? I mean don't we have to meet Rangiku at the hotel at four?" Ichigo said. Momo nodded, Ichigo was right of course. Sitting here arguing with Toshiro, and worrying over whether or not Karin has a crush on him would get them nowhere.

"So, who's ready for the beach?" Momo asked as she pulled onto the main road again. The car erupted in loud cheers and whistles. "Jeez, for three people you guys are really loud." Momo laughed. Ichigo punched her arm and Toshiro bopped her on the head.

"I'm loud," Karin agreed.

"We know," the others said at the same time, and then everyone burst out laughing. Momo smiled; maybe this car trip won't be so bad.

"Hey Ichigo, find some music," Momo said nodding at the radio.

"If you insist," Ichigo laughed. Momo nodded, yes, this car ride will not be bad at all. Maybe this vacation will turn out to be as wonderful as she imagined. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw Toshiro's hand sitting slightly on top of Karin's and she struggled to not make a noise.

Maybe not… maybe this summer will be like every other. Longing for Toshiro to love her back, and Rangiku setting her up with guys that she didn't care to get to know. She frowned and concentrated on the road in front of her. Beside Momo, Ichigo shot her a sideways glance. He just didn't understand Momo today, first she was happy then she was sad.

When she'd asked him about Karin liking Toshiro, it had got him thinking and he was pretty sure he'd figured out why she was so sad all the time. He glanced up at the rearview mirror just as Momo had and saw the source of her frown. Ichigo shook his head, man had they all been blind. It suddenly hit him; all the times Momo had backed out of going out with them all had been times that Toshiro had a girl with him. It seemed so silly to him, but girls were different.

"Hey Momo," Ichigo said softly. Momo looked over at him briefly before turning her gaze back to the road.

"Yes?" She asked.

"This summer will be different I promise," he said. Momo smiled sadly and shook her head.

"Thank you Ichigo, but I doubt that," she said sneaking another glance at the rearview mirror.

"You never know, this summer could be yours," Ichigo said before turning his attention to the window.

_***S***_

** A/N: Wow… well I had all intentions for this to be a HitsuHina story, but the more I wrote, the more I wanted it to be an IchiHina story… Weird I know. I had planned on making them good friends in it, because I don't think anyone has done that before, and I could see them becoming good friends, but I think this shall turn out to be an IchiHina story. We shall see. **


End file.
